Pentecostalism and Cultism in South Africa

Pentecostalism is a growing movement in world Christianity. However, the growth of Pentecostalism in South Africa has faced some challenges, including the abuse of religion by some prophets. This book first names these prophets and the churches they lead in South Africa, and then makes use of literary and media analysis to analyse the religious practices by the prophets in relation to cultism. Additionally, the book analyses the “celebrity cult” and how it helps promote the prophets in South Africa. The purpose of this book is threefold: First, to draw parallels between the abuse of religion and cultism. Second, to illustrate that it is cultic tendencies, including the celebrity cult, that has given rise to many prophets in South Africa. Last, to showcase that the challenge for many of these prophets is that the Pentecostal tradition is actually anti-cultism, and thus there is a need for them to rethink their cultic tendencies in order for them to be truly relevant in a South African context.

1. Introduction

2. Prophets in New Prophetic Churches

3. NPC Prophets and Religious Cult in South Africa

4. The Practice of Secret Cult by Some NPC Prophets in South Africa

5. The Sex Cult Practices of Some NPC Prophets in South Africa

6. NPC Prophets and the Money Cult in South Africa

7. NPC Prophets and the Celebrity Cult in South Africa

8. Dis/Continuity with Cultic Tendencies in Classical Pentecostal and Charismatic Churches (PCCs)

9. Ways of Challenging the Various Cultic Tendencies in the New Prophetic Churches

Mookgo Solomon Kgatle is Associate Professor at the University of South Africa. He is a National Research Foundation (NRF) Y Rated researcher (2019-2024) in the area of African Pentecostalism, and is visiting scholar at the Centre for Pentecostal and Charismatic Studies-University of Birmingham (2020-2022).